Couchonomics with Arjun

Rethinking Core Banking — From the Inside Out  In this special GFTN Japan edition of Couchonomics with Arjun, we welcome Mayoran Rajendra, Managing Director and Head of the Asia Innovation Center at SMBC — one of Japan’s largest financial institutions. We discuss how his team is re-engineering the core of corporate banking using generative AI, automation, and agentic infrastructure — not just addi...

What happens when alternative finance moves faster than regulation? On this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun , Professor Bob Wardrop — Co-Founder of the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance and RegGenome — breaks down why global regulatory frameworks are struggling to keep up. We explore: Why many regulators are still stuck in a pre-2008 mindset The rise of machine-readable, computational re...

Japan is regulated, conservative — and still ahead of the curve in digital assets. In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, recorded in Tokyo with the support of GFTN Forum Japan, we sit down with Genki Oda, Managing Executive Director at SBI Holdings and Chairman of the Japan Virtual and Crypto Assets Exchange Association (JVCEA). Genki has played a central role in shaping Japan’s digital asse...

Why hasn’t Japan produced more global startup giants? In this special Japan series of Couchonomics with Arjun, recorded in Tokyo and in collaboration with GFTN Forum Japan, Arjun sits down with Jordan Fisher, Venture Partner at Antler and Co-founder of Zehitomo. From the hidden inefficiencies in Japan’s service economy to the deeper structural and cultural barriers that limit growth, this conversa...

Japan has long been a leader in financial technology, from pioneering 24/7 ATMs to developing QR codes and digital payment systems. But in recent years, the country has struggled to keep up with the global fintech revolution. That might be about to change. In this episode, Pieter Franken, Managing Director of GFTN Japan, joins us to explore Japan’s fintech resurgence and what’s driving innovation...

That’s a wrap on Season 3 of #Couchonomics! And we’re ending on a high note. In this season finale, we welcome Dr. Marwan Alzarouni, CEO of AI at the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, to the couch for an insightful discussion on how AI is reshaping industries, the evolution of blockchain, and Dubai’s vision for a tech-driven economy. We also cover:  ✅ AI’s role in Dubai’s government and ec...

Can Capital Save the Planet? 🌍💰 In this special Couchonomics x The Founders Peak episode from Singapore Fintech Festival 2024, we sit down with Oi Yee Choo, CEO of Climate Impact X (CIX), to discuss the future of sustainability finance and carbon markets. 🌱 Topics we covered:  ✅ The biggest challenges in carbon markets  ✅ How CIX is building a trusted global marketplace  ✅ The role of AI, bl...

Japan is making big moves in AI, blockchain, and digital asset regulation. In this special episode—filmed live at the Singapore Fintech Festival 2024 with The Founders Peak Unplugged—Arjun sits down with Ryosuke Ushida, Chief Fintech Officer at Japan’s Financial Services Agency, to discuss the country’s fintech future.   What's inside:  ✅ Japan’s fintech regulations—innovation vs. compliance...

Is the Middle East set to be the ultimate billionaire’s playground by 2025? In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, we're joined by Fahd Iqbal, CIO of UBS Middle East. We explore the influx of billionaires reshaping the UAE, the rise of family offices, and how AI is transforming investment strategies. Fahd shares his expert predictions for 2025 and the financial shifts happening across th...

Can payments ever be truly invisible?  Lawrence Chan, Group CEO of NETS, is beaming in virtually from Singapore to discuss how the world of payments is rapidly changing and what it means for businesses everywhere.  Lawrence and Arjun covered a range of topics during our conversation. Here are some key points: 🌐 ASEAN payment connectivity and the potential of cross-border QR payments  🔧 How NETS...

PropTech Power in Saudi Arabia! In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, we had an engaging conversation with Razwa Alharthi, Co-Founder of Nuzul, at Jeel, Riyadh Bank's innovation hub. Razwa shared how her PropTech startup is driving innovation and efficiency in Saudi Arabia's real estate sector through cutting-edge technology. We also discussed:  👉 The story behind Nuzul and how it...

A New Era of Wealth Management! 💰 Couchonomics with Arjun is coming to you straight from Saudi Arabia! 🇸🇦 In this episode filmed at Jeel, Riyadh Bank's innovation hub, we chat with Ali Alorainy and Faisal Alqarni, the founders of Malaa Technologies, a wealth tech platform reshaping personal finance with a fresh, automated approach. Here’s what you’ll discover in our conversation:  👉 How Mal...

Future of crypto! 💱 We’re honored to have Richard Teng, CEO of Binance, joining us for an exclusive conversation straight from the heart of the Singapore FinTech Festival. As one of the most influential leaders in the crypto space, Richard takes us through his journey at the helm of Binance, a company that’s leading the charge in crypto adoption, education, and innovation. Richard and Arjun also...

Tokenizing Trade Finance: A Glimpse into the Future of Digital Assets  Live from SFF 2024, we had the privilege of sitting down with Wee Kee Toh, Global Head of Business Architecture for Coin Systems at Onyx by JPMorgan, to unpack the groundbreaking innovations shaping the future of digital finance. From interoperability to Global Layer One—a collaborative blockchain network operated by banks—we d...

Is AI a Boon or a Bane for Banks? What happens to those banks that arrive late for the party? Our special series from the Singapore Fintech Festival—created in collaboration with Founders Peak—continues with a must-watch episode! I had the pleasure of sitting down with Tomas Skoumal, Founder & CEO of Dyna.ai, to explore how AI is reshaping the banking landscape. Here’s what you’ll take away fr...

Payments Are Eating The World! This week on the #couch, we had the chance to speak with Daumantas Grigaravicius, the new Head of the Middle East Region at Adyen. We had an insightful conversation about the current trends in payments, both regionally and globally, and the transformative power of payment orchestration.  Join us as we explore the changing face of payments and consumer experiences in...

How Stable Are Stablecoins?  In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, recorded live at the Singapore FinTech Festival in partnership with Founders Peak, we chat with Dante Disparte, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Policy at Circle. Dante shares how Circle is using digital assets like USDC (Stablecoin) and EURC to build a more inclusive financial system. Innovation is changing the way we thin...

Kicking off a special series of Couchonomics with Arjun, recorded live at the Singapore FinTech Festival 2024 in collaboration with Founders Peak! 🛋️ In this first episode, we welcome Nate Clark, CEO of GoTyme Bank, to talk about the future of digital banking in the Philippines and beyond. We dive into the Filipino financial services sector, the rise of fintech, the impact of AI on banking, and so...

Super apps are the talk of the town and in the latest episode of Couchonomics with Arjun , we’re diving into this hot topic with Kaniyet Rayev, CEO of Boxo. Based in Kazakhstan and Singapore, Kaniyet leads Boxo—a platform that empowers apps to become super apps by seamlessly integrating e-commerce, travel, and financial services. We cover the rise of super apps, Boxo’s innovative mini-app tech, an...

The latest episode of Couchonomics with Arjun is now live from Riyadh, in collaboration with Jeel, Riyad Bank’s innovation center. Joining us are Morrad Irsane and Sharene Lee, co-founders of Takadao, a company redefining insurance through #blockchain and #Web3 technology. Their vision? To create a decentralized, transparent alternative to traditional insurance that aligns with #IslamicFinance pri...

Couchonomics with Arjun is beaming its inaugural episode from its new home in KSA, at Jeel, Riyadh Banks Innovation Center in the heart of Riyadh.  Our guest for this week’s special episode is Maher Loubieh, Co-Founder & CEO of Hala. During this episode, Maher shares Hala’s incredible journey from its beginnings as a peer-to-peer payment platform to then pivoting their business model to focus...

This week on #Couchonomics, Arjun sits down with Walter De Oude, the visionary Founder & CEO of Chocolate Finance—a high-yield cash management platform designed to bring better returns on idle cash.  Joining from Singapore, Walter shares his inspiring journey from launching SingLife to creating Chocolate Finance, along with his vision for empowering “lazy savers” with higher returns. In this e...

Exciting plans for Season 4 are already in motion, and in this 100th-episode special, Arjun takes a turn on the other side of the #couch!  Hosting this special edition is Vuk Zlatarov, Co-founder and CEO of Poddster, who delves into Arjun’s journey behind the scenes. Vuk leads Arjun through a candid discussion about the journey of building the show, from its early days to becoming a space for the...

We continue celebrating the 100th episode of Couchonomics with Arjun! For this milestone episode, we’re happy to welcome back Roelant Prins, Chief Commercial Officer at Adyen. Roelant and Arjun had an interesting conversation at the end of Season 1, where we filmed a special episode in Amsterdam. Today, Roelant joins us remotely to discuss the evolving payments landscape and explore the critical s...

We’re celebrating the 100th episode with the return of Ramana Kumar, CEO of Magnati! Ramana first joined us in Season 1, and now he’s back to share how Magnati has evolved into a leading cloud-based payments company. In this special episode, we explore the shift to tech-driven payments, the rise of embedded finance, cross-border payment challenges in the MENA region, the role of CBDCs, and the pot...